Compress



(No Model.)

M. V. WAGNER.

GOMPRESS.

No. 398,199. Patented Feb. 19, 1889.

N. PETERSv Phomhlhn m hur. Washington. D. C,

UNInn drains PATENT Fries.

l\IAR'lI1\ V. \VAGNER, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

COMPRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,199, dated February 19, 1889.

Application filed December 4, 1888. Serial No. 292,646. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN V. IVAGNER, a

citizen of the United. States, residing at Marpart of this specification, Figure 1 representsan elevation of the inner side of one form of my compress with part broken away. Fig. 2 is avertical central section of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation, on a smaller scale, of another form of my invention.

Referring now to the details of construction, A (see Figs. 1 and 2) represents the outer casing of the compress, and. B the lining of the same, both being preferably of india-rubber cloth, and also preferably sewed together and bound at the edges to form a pocket between them. To the top and bottom of the casing are attached short pieces of tape, C, which forms a means of securing a pad, I), which pad is preferably medicated, although this is not essential for all purposes to which my invention may be applied. At each end of the compress straps and buckles or tapes should be secured.

The pad D is preferably made of pure linen cloth, d, filled with layers of cotton batting, cl. \Vhen to be used, the pad (medicated or not, as preferred) is placed between the lining and the tapes, and a linen cloth, E, saturated with water, either hot or cold, as the nature of the disease seems to indicate, is also placed between the lining and the tapes, and the compress is then. drawn firmly over the abdomen and tightly buckled, which excludes all air. The heat from the body, if cold water is used, gradually warms the satuthere is no escape for it, on account of the rubber casing, the pores of the skin are soon opened up freely and the inflammation rapidly dissipated.

For diseases of the lungs, lame back, spinal and kidney diseases, 850., I make the compress of the shape shown in Fig. 3, but otherwise of substantially the same construction exhibited in Fig. 1.

For diseases in shoulders, hips, arms, legs, ankles, or feet, I make the compress to fit the particular part; but all of them act on the same principle. The pad is used in every case with the saturated linen cloth placed over it.

The rubber-cloth pocket in the compress serves for two purposes. One is that, it being double, it renders the compress still more effective, and the other is for the purpose of placing the medicated pad in when not in use, so as to retain the properties of the medication.

It is obvious that by the use of the double casing and the transverse tapes the pad can be securely held, if desired, in two positions when in useviz., in the pocket or outside of the same, so that the effect of the pad may be varied to suit particular conditions by bringing the wet or medicated pad into direct contact with the parts to which the same is applied, or by keeping the pad inside the pocket use it for a warm dry application.

The pad serves various functions. First, it assists in retaining the moisture; second, being of flexible nature, it gives to the pressure when the compress is being buckled tightly around the body, thereby rendering the compress more perfect and effective, and at the same time renders it comfortable to the wearer, notwithstanding it is tightened aroun d the body, and, third, it serves as a means of supplying medication to the part to which it is applied.

What I claim as new is- The compress herein described, comprising a pad having a fibrous filling and a casing having two thicknesses of rubber cloth, and a series of transverse tapes having their ends rated linen cloth, producing steam; but as attached to the top and bottom edges thereof,

whereby the casing is adapted to seonrely in presence of two witnesses, this 1st day of hold the pad in position, either in the pocket December, 1888. formed between the two thicknesses of the H T T ,r T easing or on one side thereof, and thus the MARHL AGL action of the pad he graduated as desired, Vitnesses: substantially as described. J AMES A, \VAY,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, S. H. GORHAM. 

